Stereowise Plus: Magellan SmartGPS 5295 Review

Electronics continually gets better and better. Improvement and increases in technology always effect the products we see. This also holds true to GPS receivers. Gone are the days of just getting us from point A to point B. Additional functionality has found its way into the new receivers. These are called Smart GPS, and are the new hot items to get in vehicle navigation. Enter the Magellan SmartGPS 5295.

Features and specs:

The Connected Car… For Everyone - Magellan SmartGPS 5295 delivers a Premium Connected Car experience in any vehicle, for a fraction of the price of in-dash infotainment systems.

Lowest Gas Prices - Automatically receive lowest gas prices from your preferred stations.

Cloud Connected Syncing - Sync destination and contacts with SmartGPS, Smartphone, Computers & Tablets to share information across devices.

Phone Sends to SmartGPS* - Send destinations from your iPhone or Android smartphone to your SmartGPS for a seamless navigation experience.

Smartphone App Included - Search or Automatically receive Reviews and Deals from Yelp & Foursquare, then confidently navigate to destinations with on-board maps. (iOS & Android)

5" High-resolution Capacitive Touchscreen - Extra-wide 5" glass touchscreen gives you a large area for safe viewing while driving.

Yelp & Foursquare - Receive Valuable Reviews and Deals for destinations around you, wherever you are.

Traffic Camera Alerts - Receive audible and visual warnings of red light and speed cameras along your route, provided by PhantomALERT. 1 Year Free.

Weather - 5 day weather forecast of your preferred 5 cities.

Best Parking - Provides parking garage locations, hours of operation and directions to the entrance.

Lifetime Map Upgrades - Never worry about out-of-date maps again. Download the latest map information (up to 4 times a year) for the life of your Magellan navigator.

Free Lifetime Traffic - Warns you of reported traffic events that may delay you and provides alternative route suggestions.

Wi-Fi - Allows downloading of Cloud Connection features, use of Android browser and wireless software updates without an extra subscription.

Internet Browser - Wi-Fi Web Browser allows you to search for destinations from any location with a Wi-Fi hotspot.

Hands-free Calling - Integrated Bluetooth technology. turns your navigator into a hands-free speakerphone, making your commute time more productive.

Back-up Camera Compatible - As you put your car into reverse, your Magellan navigator will automatically switch into rear-view mode allowing you to see what is behind your car- including children, pets and toys.

Landmark Guidance - Receive directions using 9 categories of landmarks as your guide, making it a more intuitive way to navigate.

Junction View - Realistic images of freeway signs and arrows provide advanced warning guiding you to the correct lane to make driving easier, safer and less stressful.

Speed Limit Warnings - Manage your speed along your route with optional settings for visual and audible alerts.

OneTouch™ Favorites Menu - Find your favorite restaurant, bank, gas station and more in any city with a single touch. Easily create shortcuts to your favorite destinations and previous searches with personalized bookmarks so you can quickly find them anywhere you travel.

Spoken Street Names - Hear street names and directions for a clear understanding of when to make the next turn while you keep your eyes on the road.

QuickSpell® with SmartCity Search - As you type the first few letters of your target address QuickSpell instantly narrows the search based on your destination.

7 Million of Points of Interest (POI) - Search and route to millions of preloaded destinations such as gas stations, restaurants, hotels, attractions and other points of interest.

Preloaded Premium Maps - Travel the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada with all the maps you need, pre-loaded on your device.

Auto Night View - Adjusts color and contrast for easy night viewing.

* Works with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, & most Android Smartphones

Device

Dimensions (English):6.3" x 3.5" x 0.5"
Dimensions (Metric):160 mm x 90 mm x 14 mm
Weight (English):0.78 lbs
Weight (Metric):355 g
Battery Type:1100 mAh Li-ion rechargeable
Battery Life: 80 minutes
CameraNo
FlashlightNo
Microphone: Yes
Waterproofnoinfofound
Speaker: Yes
Stereo Audio JackNo
Available User Storagenoinfofound
CPU: Texas Instruments Cortex A8
Expandable Memory: microSD
Temperature Range (F):14F to 158F
Temperature Range (C):-10C to 70C
Suspend ModeNo
Internal Memorynoinfofound
Audio/Video Input: Yes
SD Slot: Yes
Water-Resistancenoinfofound
Vibratenoinfofound
Watch ModeNo
Package Contents: SmartGPS Unit with Battery
Windshield Mount
Vehicle Power Adapter
Micro USB Cord
USB AC Adapter
Quick Start Guide
SmartGPS Apps Download Card

Screen

Display Resolution, WxH: 800 x 480 WVGA
Screen Size: 5.0"
Display Type: Capacitive
Touch Screen: Yes
Invertible ScreenNo

GPS & Sensors

GPS Accuracy: 3-5 Meters
High-Sensitivity GPS: Yes
Barometric Altimeternoinfofound
Temperaturenoinfofound
Antenna Type: Multidirectional Patch
3-Axis Electronic CompassNo
External AntennaNo
WAAS/EGNOS/MSASNo

Mapping & Navigation

Preloaded Maps US, Canada, Puerto Rico
Uploadable MapsNo
Points of Interest: 7M
Turn-by-Turn Routing: Yes
Vertical ProfileNo
Area CalculationNo
Hunt & Fish CalendarNo
Sun & Moon InformationNo
Tide & Current TablesNo
Coordinates Systems & DatumsNo
User GridNo
AAA TourBookNo
Lifetime Traffic Alerts: Yes
Highway Lane Assist: Yes
Map Updates: Lifetime
Multi-Destination Routing: Yes
OneTouch Favorites Menu: Yes
Speed Limits: Yes
Spoken Street Names: Yes
Audible Proximity Alarmsnoinfofound
Silent Proximity Alarmsnoinfofound
Traffic Wake-UpNo
Periodic ReportingNo
Branded POIs: Yes
POIs Along Route: Yes
Smart City Search: Yes
Smart Detour: Yes
QWERTY/ABCD KeyboardNo
Find Your CarNo
Pedestrian ModeNo
TourDirectorNo
Landscape/Portrait ModeNo
Navionics? Map CompatibleNo
Good Sam/Trailer Life DirectoryNo
RV/Truck routeNo
Customize Vehicle ProfileNo
Breadcrumb NavigationNo
Back to Start/LocationNo
Landmark Guidance: Yes
Portrait/Landscape modeNo
Bluetooth Safe Texting: Yes
Junction view: Yes
Best Parking: Yes
Traffic Camera Alerts by Phantom ALERT: Yes
Yelp Integration :Yes
Foursquare Integration: Yes
Gas Prices: Yes
Weather: Yes

Interface & Communications

Communication Protocolnoinfofound
USB Port: USB 2.0 (micro)
NMEA Outputnoinfofound
PC Compatible: Yes
MAC Compatible: Yes
Bluetooth: Yes
Wi-Fi: Yes
Cellular: Yes

The Magellan SmartGPS 5295 came in attractive looking packaging with photos of the device, along with features and specs. Included was the device, owners manual and app download card, the windshield mount, and various cables. Materials used in the construction appeared to be mostly plastic, yet high quality. The fit and finish was very good. In hand it felt well put together, and felt like a premium device.

As you can see from the features and specs, the Magellan SmartGPS is more then just a GPS receiver. It can also access the internet through wi-fi. Once connected, you can do a lot more. GPS receivers have Points Of Interest (POI) already programmed in. Now, not only can you find a nearby gas station, you can also check gas prices. Another example is restaurants. Now you can find a restaurant and YELP reviews.

The Magellan Smart GPS can also access local information. This includes items such as weather and traffic alerts. It can even give you Red Light Camera and Speed Trap Alerts! Just in case that was not enough, you can receive Yelp and Foursquare reviews and deals based on your location. The Magellan Smart GPS seems to do everything. It is a true game changer in vehicle navigation!

The Magellan Smart GPS also does all this safely. Now you can do what you have used your smart phone for in navigation, but do so much safer. You can even use the Cloud and save your favorite destinations and share them with your other devices, such as Smartphone, Tablet, and computer. I must say, I am in awe with all of it's functionality. In terms of in vehicle navigation it is a huge leap forward. Let's see if it performs just as well.

Performance of the Smart GPS has been in spades. Not once has it gotten me lost, as I have been using it to navigate. And the real icing on the cake has been using it's advanced features. I loved seeing the local gas stations on screen and their gas prices. Traffic and local restaurant info was also cool to see. The Magellan SmartGPS provided A LOT of features, and they worked seamlessly with the device. It reminded me of synergy, with the whole being more then the parts. The SmartGPS has some great features, but having it all work together is just awesome! Using the dial at the top of the screen rotated the screen to 100% navigation, to 50% navigation/50% tiles for traffic alerts, red light cameras, gas stations, restaurants, etc, to 100% tiles. You can even surf online and check email, Facebook, etc. It took some getting used to, but I liked it.

Keep in mind that the use of it's smart features was dependent on being linked to you cell phone for online content. It took a bit to get it linked to my phone, but it worked. So you will be dependent on your phone as well, and some may have more trouble than others. Using it to make hands free calls worked great as well, with good sound quality of both myself through the mic and the person on the other phone thru the built-in speaker.

The Magellan Smart GPS 5295 is a huge leap forward in vehicle navigation. With all of it's advanced features, in the realm of vehicle navigation it is a true game changer! And it does so more safely then just using your smartphone. With an MSRP of $249 it is worth it for the advanced functionality. The Smart GPS also performed in spades. In term of Christmas gifts, this is one I would want! Based on it's design, features, quality and performance, the Magellan Smart GPS has earned our Editor's Choice Award. Kudos to Magellan for such an excellent product. for more info and complete specs, check out their website at www.magellangps.com.

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Magellan SmartGPS 5295 Review

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